Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Toby Keith take early CMA Awards

Kenny Chesney, seen during his Anaheim tour stop in July with Tim McGraw, is among the early winners for 2012 CMA Awards.

By Randy Lewis

Nov. 1, 2012 12 AM PT

Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw and Toby Keith have snagged the first trophies in the 46th Country Music Assn. Awards ceremony that’s now under way in Nashville. The show will be tape delayed for West Coast viewing until 8 p.m.

The first pre-telecast awards have gone out to Chesney and McGraw in the musical event category for their collaboration on “Feel Like a Rock Star” from Chesney’s latest album “Welcome To the Fishbowl.” Keith took the music video award for his “Red Solo Cup,” an ode to the ubiquitous beverage container.

Going into the awards, Eric Church had five nominations, Miranda Lambert and husband Blake Shelton were tied at four apiece, while Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley and Taylor Swift have three nominations each.

PHOTOS: CMA 2012 on the red carpet | CMA 2012 Winners and nominees

Vying for the CMA’s top award of entertainer of the year are Aldean, Chesney, Shelton, Swift and the show’s co-host, Brad Paisley.

Female vocalist contenders are Lambert, Swift, Kelly Clarkson, Martina McBride and Paisley’s partner hosting the ceremony, Carrie Underwood. Male vocalist nominees are Aldean, Church, Shelton, Luke Bryan and Keith Urban.

Album of the year nominations went to Church’s “Chief,” Lambert’s “Four the Record,” Bentley’s “Home,” Lady Antebellum’s “Own the Night” and Bryan’s “tailgates and tanlines.”

Aldean’s “Dirt Road Anthem,” Shelton’s “God Gave Me You,” Bentley’s “Home,” Little Big Town’s “Pontoon” and Church’s “Springsteen” are nominated for single of the year.

THE SHOW: CMA 2012 as it happened

This year’s ceremony takes place at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, with Paisley and Underwood hosting for the fifth consecutive year. Winners are determined by ballots among 11,000 members of the Nashville-based CMA, whose membership consists of musicians, producers, record company, radio and other music-industry professionals.

On Thursday, Twitter launched a new country music page to keep tabs on the CMA results and future country music news. Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Keith Urban and the Zac Brown Band are among performers who will be live tweeting to the new page.

ALSO:

Trying to keep up with Carrie Underwood

Taylor Swift makes a grown-up move on ‘Red’

Review: Toby Keith finds wisdom at the watering hole

Follow Randy Lewis on Twitter: @RandyLewis2